AMT Mod Rod question

[regular guy]

Model Car members

does the current reissue Mod Rod '29 Ford Model A kit come with ALL the Ala-Kart parts? yes/no?

Aporeciate it!

[Mark]

No.  The nose piece isn't included, probably a few other things also.  The fender unit was altered slightly, to eliminate the recess for the side exhaust pipes.

[RatRod]

In the original post about this kit, I did a comparison with an original Mod Rod, and I only seen three parts missing, the grille shell, the clear "bullits" for the grille, and the bed cover. As  Mark mentions above the fender unit was modified in the running board area, and the hump on the cowl has been removed. As a big fan of the original Ala-Kart kit I have every original version of all the kits that have the Ala-kart in them. It's pretty cool that round 2 used the last version of the Mod Rod kit, and the last kit to have the Ala-Kart option. It's kinda sad that R2 didn't see fit to at least go a tad bit further to bring back the last few parts, and fix the body mods, but I was disappointed When the '50 Ford didn't have all the original parts back in it! 

Update: Today I spent a little more time comparing the new kit, against an original, and found a few more missing pieces. Most, of the A-K side exhaust is missing, I say most because there is about an 1 1/4" of one side still on the tree! The main exhaust is missing a 1/4" section w/ 90 degee bend, and the injectors are gone, the valley cover is still there.   

Edited July 30, 2016 by RatRod

[Dave]

The side of the box says: This Mod '29 Model A is Komplete with a "Kart Load" of KoolKustomizing Komponents.

I guess their way of saying there is some Ala Kart stuff in the box.  Unfortunately I don't know enough about the Ala Kart too tell you whats and whats not.

[ChrisBcritter]

Hopefully some resin kaster kan kome up with the other komponents!

OK, enough. At least now some gluebombs can be rescued, or donate the few missing bits.

[regular guy]

Model Car Builders

thanks for the responses

I would have liked vintage box (early 60's) with the picture of the Ala Kart on it and the Ala Kart parts

but unless AMT starts a custom order kit department that's probably not going to happen

custom orders:choose your box and choose your parts

thx

[Greg Myers]

Wonder why these parts were left out?

Other kits have had "Re Engineered" parts why not here?

[Rob Hall]

Wonder why these parts were left out?

Other kits have had "Re Engineered" parts why not here?

Who knows...maybe they couldn't make a business case for the investment...or maybe they are planning on reissuing the modern tool Ala-Kart..

Edited July 31, 2016 by Rob Hall

[Greg Myers]

I really think if they put their "modern tool" kit up against the old Traditional AMT issue ( filled out with all the missing parts, of course) , the old kit would out sell it hands down.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I really think if they put their "modern tool" kit up against the old Traditional AMT issue ( filled out with all the missing parts, of course) , the old kit would out sell it hands down.

Or...though it would take some knowledgeable effort...they could do what the best builders of Ala Kart models have been doing since the "new tool" kit was introduced. Cherry pick the best parts from both, and put them in one box. It would take some subtle tooling mods to make all the parts work together out-of-the-box, but it sure could make a sweet kit.

Explain that's what was done, and use the original AK illustration on the box.

Nah. Never happen.

[Greg Myers]

Very interesting indeed. 

For one thing, as pointed out on this very board  could they possible match up the scales ? 

[unclescott58]

Interesting, the parts left out of my kit, the Original Art Series version, are both frames. I sure this is some sort of minor mistake with my kit only. I've contacted Round 2's customer service to let them know about it. So I'm sure I'll have the parts pretty soon.

Besides missing the one tree with both frames, I'm a little surprised by how much flash I'm finding with this kit. I've seen worst. But, I expect a little better from Round 2.

 

Edited August 4, 2016 by unclescott58

[Robberbaron]

Wonder why these parts were left out?

Other kits have had "Re Engineered" parts why not here?

Who knows...maybe they couldn't make a business case for the investment...or maybe they are planning on reissuing the modern tool Ala-Kart..

Or...though it would take some knowledgeable effort...they could do what the best builders of Ala Kart models have been doing since the "new tool" kit was introduced. Cherry pick the best parts from both, and put them in one box. It would take some subtle tooling mods to make all the parts work together out-of-the-box, but it sure could make a sweet kit.

Explain that's what was done, and use the original AK illustration on the box.

Nah. Never happen.

John G with Round 2 discussed this very issue a couple months ago in the following link:

http://www.collectormodel.com/round2-models/2554-the-inside-scoop-on-amts-1929-ford-model-a-mod-rod-reissue/#sthash.FdMfUiYW.dpbs

Doesn't give a definitive answer, but at least it confirms that Round 2 seems well aware of the shortcomings of the new tool Ala Kart.

[Snake45]

I'm almost certainly in the minority here, but I really don't care about Ala Kart. Don't, never did, probably never will. I've always thought it was ugly.

I'm planning to get this kit to do something with, but not anything Ala Kart-y. When I get it I'll probably put the AK parts up for trade, if anyone needs them.

[Spex84]

I can do without most of the new-tool Ala Kart. It has some neat bits for kitbashing (headlights, taillights, bed rails, maybe the suspension? nerf bars) The headers and side pipe, sadly, strike me as being underscaled.

But man-o-man, the wheels and tires are gorgeous!!

[Chuckyg1]

I seem to remember someone mention here that one version had more parts than the other, but I can't locate the thread. If so, can anyone confirm which?

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[unclescott58]

I'm almost certainly in the minority here, but I really don't care about Ala Kart. Don't, never did, probably never will. I've always thought it was ugly.

I'm planning to get this kit to do something with, but not anything Ala Kart-y. When I get it I'll probably put the AK parts up for trade, if anyone needs them.

Man, I'm with you on the Ala Kart Snake. I too have never cared for it. I like the early 70's look red Mod Rod on the one side of the box. That's the main reason I bought the kit. On that same box side, they show old fashion competition model. That's my plans for car number 2 in the box. Though I'm thinking of painting that one a gray of some sort. The Mod Rod? I can't quite make up my mind on that. I'm leaning towards Testor's One Coat Lacquer in either Stat Spangled Blue or Ice Blue. The red or yellow box art versions don't do for me. The yellow looks good without fenders. But, for sure it would not work with the fendered version I want to build.

 

[Mark]

Is there even a need for a reissue of the complete Ala Kart?  Most of us old fogeys who want one probably already have enough parts to build three or four of them.  There was only one real one, and it didn't change much so it's not like we'd have a need to build every variation.  AMT bought the real one back in the day, partly to get out of paying royalties on it, partly so it wouldn't be updated (if it were, they'd then have to change the kit to keep it current).  The current issue jumps out at me because they are highlighting that fenderless version in yellow.  I've had the original box with that one on it, never paid attention to it but now it looks interesting.

[unclescott58]

Interesting, the parts left out of my kit, the Original Art Series version, are both frames. I sure this is some sort of minor mistake with my kit only. I've contacted Round 2's customer service to let them know about it. So I'm sure I'll have the parts pretty soon.

Besides missing the one tree with both frames, I'm a little surprised by how much flash I'm finding with this kit. I've seen worst. But, I expect a little better from Round 2.

 

Round 2 came through like champs. I got my replacement frames in this morning's mail. Back to working on the kit.

[unclescott58]

Okay, as I'm working on my Mod Rod, I'm again questioning if I got all the parts with mine. I'm wondering where the clear headlamp parts are for the Mod Rod quad headlamp setup? Could those be the little round clear pieces on the clear parts tree? They look awfully small compared to the known regular headlamps in the kit.

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

For one thing, as pointed out on this very board  could they possible match up the scales ? 

I can do without most of the new-tool Ala Kart. It has some neat bits for kitbashing (headlights, taillights, bed rails, maybe the suspension? nerf bars) The headers and side pipe, sadly, strike me as being underscaled.

But man-o-man, the wheels and tires are gorgeous!!

The sie pipes in the "new-tool" AlaKart do indeed appear small, but I haven't measured them to be certain.

What IS curious (and I HAVE measured this) is that the old, correctly-scaled Dodge Red Ram hemi in the original kit will shoehorn into the "new-tool" kit's engine bay just as it does on the real car.

The "new-tool" kit has a better stance than the original kit, but the front wheels / tires are also underscale...though they DO look good...if I remember correctly.

Gluebomb original-tool AlaKart models are cheap and plentiful enough that anyone who really wants to do an accurate buildup of the first-issue version using the new kit discussed here can do so relatively easily.

Incidentally, besides the Mod Rod fender unit having been modified to delete the side-pipe recesses, the louvers found on the aprons of the original AlaKart fender unit have also been deleted...for many years.

[Junkman]

What is wrong with the 'new tool' kit?

(I bet it has been discussed before, but my search did not yield a thread to that extent)

[Dave Darby]

Years ago, when the new tool Ala Kart kit came out, I wrote a history of the car, the original kit, and a side by side comparison of the old and new tool Ala Kart kits.  The new tool kit fared very poorly. You can read it at this link. BTW, Stay tuned, as I picked up the new Mod Rod kit, and will do a detailed "Tim Boyd-esque" style review of it very soon. It's a good 'un!

Old Vs New Ala Kart kit Comparo

 

 

[Ace-Garageguy]

What is wrong with the 'new tool' kit?

(I bet it has been discussed before, but my search did not yield a thread to that extent)

The single greatest shortcoming in the "new tool" kit is the ridiculously underscale engine and gearbox.

Whether this was a mistake, or thought to be a necessary "adjustment" (not at all necessary, as the correctly-scaled engine from the old-tool kit fits in the new-tool engine bay) has never been addressed to the best of my knowledge. 

Additionally, people have actually argued about the accuracy of the new-tool engine, expressing endless "opinions" for pro and con.

I've MEASURED the real engine this is supposed to represent, divided by 25, and removed all doubt.

[Junkman]

That would be an easy fix.
However, I'm now more concerned with the inaccurate body shape that Dave mentioned in his article.
Looking at the box illustration, it indeed does look wrong, so it'll be old school tool all the way for me.